Furnace smoothing-iron



J. TAGGART.

4 Sad Iron.`

No. 15,723. i Patented Sept. 9, 1856.

" Stm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN TAGGART, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JNO. TAGGART AND VERNON BROWN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FURN'ACE SMOOTHING-IRON.

Specification of Letters `Patent No. 15,723, dated September 91856.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN TAGGART, of Roxbury, inthe county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts,` have invented an Improved Furnace Smoothing or Flat Iron; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of whichvFigure l is a top view; Fig. 2, a side elevation, and Fig. 3, a vertical and longitudinal section of the same.

In these drawings,`A, exhibits the body of a flatiron `which is to be made smooth on its sides and bottom, and to be cast or constructed of iron and in the form of a box, or with a furnace or chamber a, for the reception of charcoal or other fuel. The said body A, is provided with a metallic cover, B, which is hinged to one end of the box as seen at, ,d, and has a chimney extended upward from its other end, the said' cover when down upon the body being confined thereto by a spring latch, c, formed and arranged as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper part of the chimney I make in an enlarged or bulbous shape as shown at, e, in Figs. l and 2, and for the purpose of containing and holding a piece of sponge D, which may be pressed into the same. Extending up from the cover, B, are two grooved standards E, E, which` are arranged parallel to one another and are constructed y with vertical grooves e', c, for the purpose of receiving and guiding in `its upward and downward movements the handle, F, formed as shown in Figs. l and 3. Between this handle and the furnace box, A, and fastened to the top of the cover B, are bellows G, the upper board h, of which is connected to the handle, F, in such manner as .to be movable with the same. The lower board, z', of the bellows is above the cover and supportedby stand ards, 7c, le, one of which is hollow and connected with a tube, H, or conductor leading downward toward the bottom of the chamber or furnace, a, thence along said bottom, and open into the said chamber. y

In order that the cover may be elevated without removing at the same time the whole of the conductor, H, out of the box, I form said conductor in two parts m, n, one of which I fasten to the cover and the other to the inner side of the box or furnace, the same being as shown in Fig. 3. The advantage of this is, that when the cover is raised orturned upward on its hinges the conductor, H, will not be moved so as to disturb any fuel that may be within the furnace.

Through one of the standards E, E, I, insert a clamp screw, I, to operate against the handle and clamp or confine it to the standards in such manner as to enable the smoothing iron to be lifted upward by the hand of a person applied to the said handle, and in order to prevent the handle from being drawn out of its groove, I extend from the chimney, as shown in Figs. l and 2, a stud or stop K, against which the handle abuts when raised upward.

In operating with a smoothing iron constructed upon the above plan, and after its furnace has been charged with charcoal and such fuel set on fire, we may by working the bellows supply air to the fuel so as to increase the combustion thereof and may accomplish this whenever it may become necessary to raise the temperature of the iron. Before the sponge is inserted in the chimney it should be saturated with water. The employment of a wet sponge in the chimney prevents the escape of either dust or sparks of fire from the furnace during the operation of working the bellows or while the smoothing iron is being used for ironing clothes or for any other purpose to which it may be applicable, the porous nature of the4 sponge allowing the refuse smoke and gases evolved during combustion of the fuel to escape through the sponge and into the surrounding atmosphere.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is as follows: l

l. I claim arranging the bellows between the handle and furnace or body of the fiatiron and connecting said bellows to both, so that the said handle may be used to operate either the bellows or the flatiron as circumstances may require.

2. I also claim making the bellows tube or conductor, H, in two separate pieces, m, n, and attaching them respectively to the cover and body of the furnace so as to operate together when the cover is down, and to be separated when the cover is raised substantially in manner and for the purpose as specilied. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 21st day of June 1856.

JOHN TAGGART. Witnesses: n

R. H. EDDY,

F. P. HALE, Jr. 

